National Football League: Kansas City Chiefs
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) Patrick Mahomes II could have spent his offseason just about anywhere, back home in Texas perhaps, or maybe even some exotic locale befitting a 20-something starting quarterback in the NFL.
Instead, Mahomes spent it in Kansas City.
Deeply immersed in Kansas City.
He showed up wearing his Chiefs jersey to read Oh the Places You Will Go to a group of children at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. He hung out with fans at a Jason Aldean concert at the downtown Sprint Center.
He wore a cutoff jersey from the T-Bones, a local independent minor league baseball team, and a pair of jorts while attending the NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway. And he threw out the first pitch when the Royals played the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium.
Throw in the dozens of times fans have bumped into Mahomes at restaurants or on the street, usually documented on social media accounts, and it would be safe to call him a man about town.
I mean, the fans come out every single week and show passion and love for us and our team and what were doing here, Mahomes said, so for me, I want to be back in the community, giving back. And just be a part of it, to show the same love and passion to them.
That earnestness is refreshing in the modern NFL, where large chasms have come to separate players from fans. Rarely do the biggest stars stick around town in the offseason, and even more rarely do players willingly embrace being part of the community.
Just this week, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown bemoaned the constant attention he receives, and the fact that he cant even work out without people showing up and bothering him.
Mahomes would prefer people show up to work out with him.
The way hes embraced living in Kansas City is not unlike the way Eric Hosmer and the rest of the Royals embraced the city during their back-to-back World Series runs. They would frequently pop up at local bars and buy a round for the entire place, even celebrating among the fans during playoff triumphs.
Maybe its something unique about Kansas City.
More likely, its something unique about those individuals.
The way Mahomes has engrossed himself in the city hasnt been lost on the fanbase, either. Hes only started one game, a Week 17 win over Denver with nothing on the line, and has yet to really prove himself as a legitimate NFL starting quarterback. But hes become one of the most popular players on the team, and his No. 15 jersey is one of the hottest sellers at local sporting goods stores.
Nor has it been lost on his teammates, who rave about the way the 22-year-old Mahomes has taken on the leadership role that Alex Smith once held, even though hes one of the youngest guys in the locker room.
